OBAMALAND

Progressive Review - The notion that Obama was all about change is beginning to get a bit worn, so the LA Times has thoughtfully given Obama an alternative amazing virtue: "Obama assigns centrists to make radical economic moves. The team led by Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner and Christina Romer will have to strike a balance between extraordinary government intervention and the nation's commitment to free markets." Those centrists radicals will do it every time.

Chris Bowers - Even after two landslide elections in a row, are our only governing options as a nation either all right-wing Republicans, or a centrist mixture of Democrats and Republicans? Isn't there ever a point when we can get an actual Democratic administration? Also, why isn't there a single member of Obama's cabinet who will be advising him from the left? It seems to me as though there is a team of rivals, except for the left, which is left off the team entirely. Not a single, solitary, actual dyed-in-the-wool progressive has, as far as I can tell, even been mentioned for a position in the new administration.

Ralph Nader - Having defeated Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primaries, he now is busily installing Bill Clinton's old guard. Thirty one out of forty seven people that he has named so far for transition or appointments have ties to the Clinton Administration, according to Politico. One Clintonite is quoted in the Washington Post as saying: "This isn't lightly flavored with Clintons. This is all Clintons, all the time.". . . Now, recall Obama's words during the bucolic "hope and change" campaign months: "The American people understand the real gamble is having the same old folks doing things over and over and over again and somehow expecting a different result." Thunderous applause followed these remarks.